Splice-indicator for fence-machines.



A. C. MILLS.

SPLICE INDICATOR FOR FENCE MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED JAN. ll. 19!].

1,28%;91 1.. Patented Oct. 29, 1918.

A. C MILLS.

SPLICE INDICATOR FOR FENCE MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. II. 1911.

Patented Oct. 29, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ANSON C. MILLS, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR IO JACKSON FENCE COMPANY, OF JACK-SON, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

SPLICE-INDICATOR FOR FENCE-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented (lot. 22, 1918.

Application filed January 11, 1917. Serial No. 141,906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Anson C. MILLS, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Jackson, in the county'of Jackson and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Splice-Indicators for Fencedrlachines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to wire fabric machines, and particularly to a novel device for preventing damage to the fabric machine which might be caused by a splice in one of the fabric wires.

In the production of wire fabric, and particularly wovenwire fencing, it is customary to feed the longitudinal or strand wires and sometimes the stay wires in continuous lengths; that is, as the end of one wire on a reel or bundle is reached, the forward end of the wire on another reel or bundle is spliced thereto, this being done with out interrupting the operation of the machine. However, in some types of fabric machine the strand and stay wires are joined at their intersections by means of dies, the space between which is only thatnecessary to accommodate wires of normal size. If a splice is made and such splice occurs at such point as to bring it between the dies, it must be taken care of or breakage would occur.

The object of the present invention is to provide means, preferably electrically operated, so arranged as to detect a splice and to stop the operation of the machine if the splice is so located as to interfere with the operation of the dies.

A further object is to so arrange the mechanism that the operation of the machine will not be stopped unless the splice occurs at such point as to interfere with the dies.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein-- Figure 1 is a plan view, partly diagrammatic in form, illustrating a plurality of wire-guiding and detecting members;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the switching mechanism;

Fig. 3 is an elevation thereof;

Fig. 1 is an enlarged plan view of one of the guiding elements shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the parts in the position they will assume upon actuation by a splice;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 4, and

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6.

In the drawings a fence machine is not illustrated. However, the angle bar 10 may be considered as a part of the frame thereof and to this angle bar are secured the necessary guiding members to provide one for each of the wires entering the machine.

It will be understood that a single fence or fabric machine is constructed and arranged for the production of fabric of different mesh, that is, a fabric in which the wires are differently spaced. Therefore, the guiding elements hereinafter referred to are mounted for adjustment on the frame member 10. .The guiding members comprise a casting 11, to which a guiding roller 12 is pivoted, and which acts, through themedium of the lateral portion 13 and the set bolt 14, as a clamp for removably securing the device on the frame member 10. A split conduit is included as a part of the device, the conduit having a flared opening 15, one half of the conduit being rigid with the casting 11, the other half being hinged thereto by means of the rod 16. The movable half 17 of the conduit is provided with an arm or extension 18, having a forked end 19 which straddles a rod 20 slidably mounted in suitable bearings. A collar 21 is adjustably secured to the rod 20 and acts as a stop for the forked end 19. Each of the guiding members for the individual wires is a duplicate of that just described, all thereof acting upon the same rod 20. At one point in the machine the rod engages the bell crank 22, best shown in Fig. 2, which in turn cooperates with a spring-pressed plunger 28. The forward end of this plunger acts as a circuit closer, the contact members being indicated at 24. The bell crank and switch members are mounted upon a base 25, which is also in the form of a clamp adapted to be secured to the frame member 10.

Whenever a splice attempts to pass through the split conduit, the halves of the conduit or guiding member are forced apart and the rod 20 actuated to close the switch. However, it is not desirable that the machine be stopped every time a splice in the wire is made, for in the majority of the instances the splice will not be positioned at such a point as to interfere with the operation of the dies. I arrange for this automatically in the following manner, reference being bad to Fig. 1. In that figure the circuit controlled by the switch 24 is lettered 26 and in cludes therein a solenoid 27 This solenoid acts through an arm 28 upon a mercury switch 29 for completing a high voltage circuit to a solenoid 30. The last named solee noid may be so connected to a shut-01f device as to stop the machine whenever the circuit is complete. However, to complete the circuit 26 in order that the machine may be shut off, it is necessary that the contact be completed through the contact piece 31, carried by a drum or timer 32. This occurs when the contact members 33, 34;, both 00-. cupy the part 31 of the drum. The timing member 32 is so arranged with reference to the cycle of operation of the fence machine thatif the contact pieces 33, 34:, occupy the contact piece 31 at the same time and the switch 2st is closed by a splice then the machine will be stopped and not otherwise. The circuit 26 also passes through a solenoid 35, which is energized when the circuit is completed and withdraws a catch member 36 to permit the completion of a circuit 37 also connected to the low voltage circuit for actuating a light or bell as a warning device. In order to restore the catch 36 to its proper position upon resumption of normal operation, I provide the cam 88 for engagement with the switch member 39 in order to lift the same to the position indicated in Fig. 1.

It will be seen that two mechanical elements must collaborate to require the stopclosed at such point as would indicate that the splice would occur at a dangerous point in the operation of the machine I claim:

1. I11 a splice indicating device for fabric machines, the combination of a detecting member for each of the continuous Wires entering the machine, a switch adapted to be actuated by said detecting members whenever a splice is about to enter the machine, and a second switch adapted to be opened and closed in timed relation with the machine, the arrangement being such that When both said switches are closed the machine is stopped, substantially as described.

2. I11 a splice indicator for fabric machines, the combination of a detecting member for each of the continuous wires entering the machine, a switch adapted to be closed by the detecting member whenever actuated by an enlargement in a wire, a movable switch member operated in synchronism with said machine, and an electrical shut-off for said machine, the arrangement being such that said detector switch and said synchronous switch must be simultaneously closed to cause the actuation of said shut-off mechanism, substantially as described.

3. In a fabric machine, the combination of a splice detector for each wire, a single shut-off mechanism for the machine, means complementary to said splice detector and adapted for operation synchronously with the machine for actuation of said shut-off mechanism whenever a splice would interfere with the operation of the machine, substantially as described.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 12th day of December, 1916.

ANSON C. MILLS, Witnesses C. F. MURRAY, H. C. James.

Uopiesof this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

